Lease Audit
and Advisory

Identifying opportunities, driving value.

BDO’s Corporate Real Estate Advisory Services practice has a dedicated group of highly devoted and experienced professionals, bringing a unique level of enthusiasm, dedication, and creative thinking to each project. Our clients, including many of the most prestigious law firms and investment banks, as well as dozens of Fortune 500 corporations, have reaped the benefits of our non-confrontational, yet persuasive approach.

For most companies, real estate occupancy and facility costs are typically some of the largest recurring expenditures. Assessing the accuracy of these charges and identifying opportunities for savings is essential. BDO’s professionals deliver deeper, more thorough audits, and are able to find more ways to obtain the greatest refund possible. Our process is designed to minimize conflicts and to maintain a positive relationship between landlords and tenants. Our service approach proactively ensures that our clients’ needs are fully satisfied and accommodated.

As one of the only major accounting firms with a dedicated practice group serving the corporate real estate community, BDO draws on a 20-year history of uncovering property operating expense and real estate tax errors, as well as utility and overtime HVAC miscalculations. With in-house engineering expertise, we are uniquely positioned to address complicated utility issues involving the lease, financial calculations, and engineering concepts.

Potential saving through a lease audit include:

Base Rent

Pro Rata Share

Operating/CAM Expenses

Real Estate Taxes

Utilities

Submetered Electric

Common Area Electric/Steam

Overtime Services

HVAC

Condensor/Chilled Water

Freight

Janitorial

Engineers

The BDO Advantage: Your Trusted Advisor

Industry Reputation

As the only major accounting firm in the world employing a dedicated staff of professionals who focus exclusively on lease auditing, BDO has a reputation for success. We currently provide lease audits for over 50% of the top 200 U.S. law firms, as well as 7 of the top 10 full-service global investment banks.

To date, we have secured savings for our clients in excess of $500 million. BDO's lease-audit practice does not represent landlords, thereby eliminating potential conflicts.

National Accounting Firm

Every year, more leases require that only nationally recognized CPA firms perform audits. BDO's strong reputation provides the landlord with confidence that the lease audit will be performed with professionalism and integrity.

In addition, during the lease audit, we identify numerous issues pertaining to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP): BDO has the internal resources and credibility to support these circumstances.

Geographic Versatility - Where You Need Us

Every member of our lease-audit practice devotes 100% of their time to lease-audit services and has at least 15 years of lease-audit experience with BDO.

BDO is highly committed to every audit engagement, regardless of location. Our Corporate Real Estate Services personnel, located in New York, New Jersey and California, staff every lease-audit assignment. However, should the need arise, we can call upon the resources of the more than 60 BDO USA offices throughout the country.

Utility Services - Depth of Knowledge

Utility-related issues typically represent a significant opportunity for savings. BDO is the only lease-audit provider with an in-house utility engineer.